Improvement in toys



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. POVERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN Tovs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,250, dated June 23, 1874; application filed June 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. PowERs, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a specification: p

My invention consists in combining, with a casing or shell, an articulated image, a retracting-spring, and an elastic cord, as herein after more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a view in perspective ot' my improved toy 5 Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the saine,- and Fig. 3, a view in elevation of the same, taken at right angles to Fig. 2. y

To carry out my invention I provide a casing or shell, which may be made ot' wood or metal, and in the form of a sphere or spheroid, by preference. In this instance the casing is shown as egg-shaped, and is composed of two sections, A and A', united by dowel-pins and glue or cement. The section A is recessed to receive an' articulated image composed of a head and body piece, B, arms C C, thigh-pieces D D, and legs E E. The arms C C are pivoted to the head and body piece B by pins c c, and the thigh-pieces D D to the lower portion of the sectionA by pins d d, the legs E E being in turn pivoted to the thigh-pieces by pins ce. The arms rest in recesses formed in the sides otl the head and body piece, and the legs in similar recesses in the thigh-pieces, so that the whole image can be compactly folded into its receptacle in the easing, in which it is retained by a retractingspring, F, which passes around a stop-pin,f, secured to the section A, and along the thigh -pieces D D, passing' through holes therein-near the pills c c of the leg-pieces, and being connected at its ends to the leg-pieces near the lower ends or feet thereof. Cords G G are attached, one to each ofthe arm-pieces C C, from which they pass downward through holes in the thighpieces below the connectingpins d d thereof, and thence upward in the groove of the thighpieces, being led through holes therein near their free ends, and being finally connected at its ends to the leg-pieces E E below their pins c e. A ring, b, is secured to the top of the piece B, to which an elastic cord, H, is attached.

In the operation of the toy it is thrown or dropped from the hand, its traverse being governed by the elastic cord H. The gravity of the casing added to its momentum will stretch the elastic cord, and will then cause the head and limbs of the figure or image to be protruded from the casing in a grotesque manner. The head and body piece will be drawn out by its attachment to the elastic cord H, and the other members, being connected to it by the cords G G, will also move out until they assume the position shown in Fig. 1, when the pins d l of the thigh-pieces will prevent further outward movement of the parts. On the resilience ot' the elastic cord the members will be retracted by the spring F, and will assume the position in the casing shown by Figs. 2 and 3. Y

The toy may be arranged to be used upon a table or board without the elastic cord H, in which case the members of the image can bc drawn out by the hand of the operator applied to the ring b, being returned bythe spring F when the ring is released.

I do not limit myself to the precise contiguration of parts shown and described, as the same may bevaried without departing from the spirit ot' my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a shell or casing with an articulated figure or image and a'retracting-sprin g, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a shell or casing with an articulated gure or image and an elastic suspeiuling-cord, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination ot' a head and body piece, pivoted limbs, a retracting-spring, F, and cords G G, substantially as set forth.

GHAS. H. POVERS.

Witnesses O. D. LUsBY, D. L. COLLIER. 

